Automatic stoker.



. To all 'wlwm it may concern) GEORGE W. WOOD, F CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY.

AUTOMATIC STOKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov: 28. 1916.

Application filed February 15, 1916. Serial No. 78,342.

Be it known that I, Gnonon W. W001), a citizen of the United States, residing at Camden, in the county of Camden and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic .Stokers', of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic stokers, 'the object of the invention being to\provide a stoker with improved means for moving the fuel through the retort which will insure a uniform feeding of the fuel over the furnace grate, so that the fuel will lie smoothly and evenly and not in ridges or piles as is common with stokers in general use.

"A further object is to provide an automatic stoker with a pair of feed worms which cooperate with stationary deflectors secured in the retort, and also cooperating with reciprocating boosters secured to a rod which is located between the feed worms, and together with the same compels the fuel to move evenly and uniformly through the retort and onto the surface ofv the grate.

With these and other objects in view, the

' invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts as. will be more fully hereinafter'describedand pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal vertical section illustrating my improved stoker. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the stoker. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in section on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view in transverse section on the line 44 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a view in section on the line 55 of Fig. 3.

1, 1, represent furnace walls, and 2 is a retort which is located centrally of the furnace, and is adapted to feed fuel to grates .3, located at opposite sides of the retort.

the particular construction of grate, nor to other features of the furnace, I have only illustrated suchelements as are necessary to v w terial which falls from hopper 4 into the point out my invention.

furnace, and communicates at its lower end with a chute 5, the latter directing the fuel into one end of the retort 2, and the movement'of the fuel below the hopper controlled by a pusher 6. This pusher 6 is secured to .a rod 7, fixed to a piston,8 operating in a As my invention has nothing to do with A fuel hopper 4; is provided outside of the cylinder 9, and preferably reciprocated by retort, and at its other end is connected to a lug 13 which pro ects through a slot 14 in the bottom of the chute 5 'in which the plunger is movable.

In the retort2, I locate two parallel feed worms 15 having rotary mounting in one end in bearings 16 in the inner end of retort 2. The other ends of the worms 15 .have bearings 17in the metal work forming the chute 5, and are caused to turn by the'reciprocation of a piston 18 which is mounted-in a vertically positioned cylinder-19, and controlled by steam or other fluid power.

A vertical rod 20 is fixed to the piston 18, and at its lower end is provided with a cross head 21, which is connected by links 22 with arms 23, the latter mounted to turn freely on the feed worms.

The arms 23 support spring-pressed pawls 24 which engage the teeth of ratchet Wheels 25, the latter secured'to the worms 15, so

that the movement of the rod 20 in its vertical reciprocation compels a step by step rotary movement of the worms to feed the flector, thereby distributing the fuel ontothe grates 3.

I have illustrated inclinedgrates which are customary, but have not attempted to go into detail as to the particular construction of the furnace. The extreme inner end 18 1' of'tlie retort is inclined, so that fuel cannot end bank in theretortfbut passes "over the onto a section of grate 19.

""In operation, the pusher 6 forces the maend of retort 2, where the feed worms 15 to move regularly and uniformly throughout the retort, and over the sides. of the re-. tort onto the grate. Thedeflectors 17* assist the worms in compelling a uniform feed over the sides of the retort, and all of the parts cooperate in securing the improved function.

Various slight changes might be made in the general form and arrangement of parts described without departing from my invention, and hence I do not limit myself to the precise details set forth, but consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. lThe combination in a stoker, of a retort, two feed worms located at opposite sides of the retort, means for rotating said worms in opposite directions, and means for supplying fuel to the feed worms, substantially as described.

2. The combination in a stoker, of a retort, two feed worms located at opposite sides of the retort, means for rotating said worms in opposite directions, means for supplying fuel to the feed worms, and reciprocating boosters located between the feed worms, substantially as described.

3. In an automatic stoker, the combination with a retort, of a pair of longitudinally positioned feed worms located in the retort and operative through the body of fuel, a reciprocating Irember, ratchet wheels secured to turn nith the worms and having oppositely pitched teeth, and pawls engaging the teeth on oppositely disposed portions of the ratchet wheels, said pawls being operated by said member, substantially as described.

4. In an automatic stoker, the combination with a retort, of a pair of longitudinally po sitioned feed worms located in the retort and operative through the body of fuel, a reciprocating member, ratchet wheels secured to turn with the worms and having oppositely pitched teeth, arms loose on the worms, pawls connected to the arms and engaging the teeth on oppositely disposed portions of the ratchet wheels, and links connecting the arms with said member, substantially as described.

5. In an automatic stoker, the combination of a retort, two feed worms rotatably mounted in said retort and spaced apart, a-

rod movable in a plane extending between said feed worms and sald rod havmg portions thereon forming boosters for raising v fuel between and into'contact with said feed worms, means for rotatlng said feed worms,

and means for reciprocating said rod, said feed worms and boosters co-acting to both said cylinder operatively connected to the pusher, a vertical cylinder, a piston in the vertical cylinder, and means operated by the last-mentioned piston for turning the worms, substantially as described. 7. In an automatic stoker, the combination of a retort, two feed worms rotatably mounted in said retort and spaced apart, a rod movable in a plane extending between said feed worms and said rod having portions thereon forming boosters for raising fuel bet-ween and into contact with said feed worms, means for rotating said feed worms, means for reciprocating said rod, said feed worms and boosters co-acting to both convey and raise the body of fuel upwardly through said retort, a pusher, and means for reciprocating said pusher to initially convey the fuel to said feed worms and boosters, substantially as described.

8. In an automatic stoker, the combination of a retort, two feed worms rotatably mounted in said retort and spaced apart, a

rod movable in a plane extending between said feed worms and said rod havingportions thereon forming boosters for ralsing fuel between and into contact with said feed worms, means for rotating said. feed worms, means for reciprocating said rod, said feed worms and boosters co-acting to both convey and raise the body of fuel upwardly through said retort, anddeflectors adjacent the outer portions of said feed worms, said deflectors being positioned at different points throughout the length of the retort, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my GEORGE w. WOOD.

Witnesses:

C. E. Po'r'rs, RHODA E. GILLIES. 

